United States · Certification
ISO/IEC 27001 certification in the United States
Achieve ISO 27001 certification in the US with Sterling: 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries, 20+ years.
- Accredited certification
- New York office team
- Effivity software included
- Academy training included
Who asks for ISO 27001 in the US
Clients include
ISO 27001 certification in the US at a glance
Three US instruments bear on ISO/IEC 27001. Not one of them names it. So why do buyers in the US keep asking for the certificate?
New York's Department of Financial Services sets one of the most detailed cybersecurity rules in the country, 23 NYCRR Part 500, yet the regulation never mentions ISO/IEC 27001. The same is true of the HIPAA Security Rule, the FTC's Safeguards Rule for financial institutions and the state's SHIELD Act, which requires reasonable safeguards for private information. What American buyers and regulators ask for is a working, risk-based security programme with evidence behind it, and an accredited ISO/IEC 27001 certificate is the internationally recognised way to show one, particularly for companies selling to Europe and Asia as well as at home. Many technology firms pair it with a SOC 2 report for domestic customers. The certificate itself comes from a certification body accredited within the international mutual recognition arrangements, after stage 1 and stage 2 audits. Sterling, with 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries, implements the ISMS from scoping and risk assessment to internal audit and management review. Local drivers and questions follow.
Who needs ISO 27001 in the US, and what happens without it
In the US the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.
- New York-licensed banks, insurers and their service providers23 NYCRR Part 500 requires a cybersecurity programme and third-party service provider oversight.
- Health-tech vendors and business associatesThe HIPAA Security Rule requires safeguards for ePHI.
- Non-bank financial institutions under the FTCThe Safeguards Rule requires a written information security programme.
- Companies holding New Yorkers' private informationThe SHIELD Act requires reasonable safeguards.
- Technology firms selling to Europe and Asia as well as the USInternational buyers ask for ISO/IEC 27001 rather than SOC 2.
Not sure which of these applies to you?Answer a short set of questions and your readiness report arrives by e-mail.
Take the ISO/IEC 27001 readiness checkISO 27001 requirements in the US
Strip away the vocabulary and ISO/IEC 27001 requires a company to prove six things about how it protects the information it holds.
In the US these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: ISO/IEC 27001 explained →
How to get ISO 27001 certified in the US
One team from the New York office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Delivered from the New York office across the US, with remote delivery for teams in other time zones and on-site work as agreed.
- Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
- Gap assessment against ISO/IEC 27001 and the US requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
- Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
- Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before the certification body arrives.
- Certification body stage 1 and stage 2, then surveillanceAn accredited body audits and decides. Sterling supports the audits and the three-year cycle.
- End to end, from one team
- Effivity ISO & GRC software
- Preferential Sterling Academy access, with complimentary awareness training for your people
- Internal auditor training for your audit team, as applicable to your standard
- Vulnerability assessment on ISMS engagements
The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.
How long does ISO 27001 certification take in the US?
There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In the US these are the factors that set the timeline.
- Number of sites, cloud environments and teams in scope
- Existing SOC 2 or NYDFS controls that can be reused
- Evidence maturity (logs, reviews, internal audit) before stage 2
- Certification body availability
Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.
How much does ISO 27001 certification cost in the US?
The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the certification body’s audit fees, which are quoted separately. In the US these factors move both.
- Headcount and complexity of the IT estate
- Number of sites in scope
- Certification body audit fees quoted separately from consulting
- Mapping to SOC 2, HIPAA or NYDFS requirements alongside the ISMS
Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.
ISO 27001 consultants and certification bodies in the US
Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; an accredited certification body then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.
- Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers ISO 27001 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
- Ask the consultant how the local requirements in the US are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
- Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
- Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.
Laws and regulations that drive ISO 27001 in the US (4)
| Instrument | How it treats the standard |
|---|---|
| 23 NYCRR Part 500 (New York DFS) | Expected in practice Cybersecurity programme requirements; ISO/IEC 27001 not cited. |
| FTC Safeguards Rule (16 CFR Part 314) | Expected in practice Comprehensive written information security programme; ISO/IEC 27001 not cited. |
| New York SHIELD Act | Expected in practice Reasonable safeguards for private information; ISO/IEC 27001 not cited. |
| IAS accreditation of management systems certification bodies | Market driver Accredited certification for management-system standards is available through a US accreditation body; no mandate. |
"Expected in practice" means the instrument asks for the outcomes ISO/IEC 27001 covers without naming a standard, and ISO/IEC 27001 is what buyers and regulators commonly accept as evidence of them.
Accreditation, audit language and remote audits in the US
Use a certification body accredited for this standard by an accreditation body within the international mutual recognition arrangements (Global ACI — Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated, formerly the IAF MLA), US-based (for example IAS, which accredits management systems certification bodies) or foreign; check that the accreditation scope covers the standard and your sector. No body is named here unless its accreditation scope has been verified. Edition and transition details: ISO/IEC 27001 hub →
Audit language
Audits are conducted in English; agree the audit and document language with the certification body at application.
Remote and on-site
Remote audit elements are at the certification body's discretion under its accreditation rules; operational sites are normally visited on-site.
ISO 27001 in the US: questions clients ask
Is ISO 27001 required by US law?
No. None of the laws and rules listed for the US cites ISO/IEC 27001. The New York Department of Financial Services regulation, the FTC Safeguards Rule and the New York SHIELD Act set security obligations without naming the standard. Certification is a way to evidence a security programme, not a legal duty; confirm your duties with your counsel.
ISO 27001 or SOC 2 for US customers?
SOC 2 is the one US customers request most, while international buyers ask for ISO/IEC 27001 instead, and many organisations run both. Let the audience decide: domestic enterprise buyers usually want a SOC 2 report, and overseas customers an ISO/IEC 27001 certificate. If you sell to both, plan the two together.
Does ISO 27001 help with 23 NYCRR Part 500?
It can help, though the regulation does not cite ISO/IEC 27001. 23 NYCRR Part 500 sets its own programme requirements, and an ISO/IEC 27001 system overlaps with them. Treat the certificate as supporting evidence, map each Part 500 requirement to your controls, and confirm compliance questions with your counsel or the regulator.
Which accreditation should our certification body hold?
Choose a body accredited for ISO/IEC 27001 within the international arrangements. In the US, the International Accreditation Service accredits management systems certification bodies and states signatory status under APAC, IAF and ILAC; a foreign accredited body is equally possible. Verify that the accreditation scope covers the standard and your sector.
More on ISO 27001 for US organisations
- ISO/IEC 27001: the complete guide
- Watch: How to implement ISO/IEC 27001
- Banking and financial services: ISO/IEC 27001 for the sector
- BPO and shared services: ISO/IEC 27001 for the sector
- Government and public sector: ISO/IEC 27001 for the sector
- Healthcare and health data: ISO/IEC 27001 for the sector
- Professional and legal services: ISO/IEC 27001 for the sector
- Software, SaaS and technology: ISO/IEC 27001 for the sector
- Telecoms and data centres: ISO/IEC 27001 for the sector
- Sterling in New York
- ISO 27001 certification in the US and every other standard Sterling delivers there
Other standards US businesses ask Sterling for
Organisations in the US often combine ISO/IEC 27001 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.
Start with a free discovery call from the New York office
A Sterling consultant goes through your entities, your regulators and your target date with you. No proposal until the scope is agreed.
Sources
- 23 NYCRR Part 500 (New York DFS) — dfs.ny.gov (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- FTC Safeguards Rule (16 CFR Part 314) — ecfr.gov (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- New York SHIELD Act — ag.ny.gov (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- IAS accreditation of management systems certification bodies — iasonline.org (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- International Accreditation Service (IAS) — iasonline.org; iaf.nu (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
- Higher-level contract quality requirements (FAR 46.202-4) — acquisition.gov (accessed 5 Oct 2026)
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